On the Rice Route

The Spice Route at The Imperial is frequently listed among the world’s best restaurants and chef Veena Arora is regarded as much an institution as the restaurant. Helming the kitchen since the restaurant started 17 years ago,Arora is celebrated among the city’s culinary cognoscenti for her frequent experiments with Southeast Asian food. Her new menu,Jewels of Asia is one such celebration of the food of that region. The menu is simple,reflecting the uncomplicated main ingredient,comprising five types of rice preparations from the different regions of Southeast Asia,cooked with the rice varietal of their place of origin.

While the fiery and pungent Khao Klukh Krapi is a Thai rice dish cooked in shrimp paste and served with sweetened shrimp,the far gentler,rather buttery Com Hoang Bao is a Vietnamese rice dish from the Imperial Cuisine of the Nguyen dynasty (wherein a typical lunch or dinner for the king comprised 50 main dishes and 16 desserts). The Nasi Kuning,garnished with an omelette shredded,is a Malaysian rice dish prepared with the yellow rice of that region,cooked in coconut milk,stock,lemon grass and kafir lime leaves. Closer to home is the Kozhi Kodan Biryani,a Kerala-style chicken biryani. While the four dishes mentioned so far are authentic rice preparations from their respective regions,the fifth is a concoction by Arora herself,a wok-fried rice with different curry pastes,bamboo shoots,peas and cherry aubergines. While guests are encouraged to order accompaniments from the curries and soups,each dish is a meal in itself.

The Jewels of Asia festival is on till August 25 at Spice Route,The dishes are approximately Rs 850,excluding taxes.

Shantanu david